ABOUT US
“Beekeeping is more than managing hives — it’s learning to live in partnership with nature.”
Meet the Founder
Nathalie B.
A Global Voice for Natural Beekeeping
Nathalie B. is an internationally recognized speaker, educator, and advocate for Treatment-Free, sustainable beekeeping. As one of only five Master Craftsman Beekeepers in Texas, she has spent over 16 years managing nearly 400 colonies while helping beekeepers around the world build healthier, more resilient hives through bee-centric practices.
Known for modernizing and standardizing Horizontal Top-Bar Hive designs, Nathalie has become a leading voice in making natural beekeeping more accessible, affordable, and practical for everyday beekeepers. She is also the inventor of the acclaimed Flex Hive — a Langstroth-to-Top-Bar adapter presented internationally at the 2025 Apimondia Congress in Copenhagen.
She regularly speaks at regional and national events, including keynote appearances at the Natural Beekeeping Summit in Australia and international speaking tours focused on sustainable apiary practices, community outreach, and mindful beekeeping.
Our Expertise
Core Focus Areas
Years of experience show that ethical, treatment-free practices lead to
healthier hives and ecosystems.
Our methods integrate innovation and tradition for resilient, productive
apiaries.
Our Story
How The Bees Found Me
I was eight the first time the bees found me.
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One spring afternoon in my mother’s garden in the South of France, I wandered off the most traveled path (which, as it turns out, would become a recurring theme in my life). I was drawn by a soft hum coming from a patch of lavender. As I got closer, I realized the air itself seemed to shimmer with movement. Honey bees were drifting from flower to flower, their wings catching the sunlight like tiny living sparks, and it looked magical to eight year old me.
I stood still, not afraid, just completely fascinated. One of them gently settled on my hand. For the next couple of minutes, the world seemed to pause as I stared at her tiny body pulsating while she brushed herself and rested. All I could feel was the faint vibration of that bee against my skin. It was such a simple moment, but it captured something profound: the quiet feeling of life at work, and my own connection to it. I remember standing there in absolute awe, completely mesmerized. I was so grateful!
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At the time, I had no idea that moment would eventually shape the course of my life. I only knew that it felt extraordinary. Then, that spring, still thinking about it, I spent hours in the library writing a school report about the dance language of bees. I filled pages with little sketches of figure eights and flowers, fascinated by the idea that bees could communicate so much just through movement. Instead of satisfying my curiosity, that project only deepened it, and I was subconsciously hooked. From then on, every garden buzz and every hum in a field pulled me a little closer into their world.
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Three decades later, thanks to a thoughtful present, I finally brought home my first very own colony. What began as a single hive instantly rekindled that same childhood wonder and quickly grew into an all-consuming passion. Bees are my life now, and I am grateful they have been keeping me ever since!
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Today, that childhood spark has grown into Bee Mindful: more than 400 thriving colonies, two diverse teaching apiaries, and a life devoted to helping others discover the beauty, intelligence, and resilience of bees. And I get to live my passion in the process!
Workshops • Apprenticeships • Global Outreach
Beyond the Hive
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From keynote speaking engagements and international workshops to refugee outreach programs in Congo, Nigeria, and Texas, Nathalie’s mission has always centered on education, sustainability, and community. In 2019, she partnered with the Congolese government to develop national beekeeping training programs, establish teaching apiaries, and create French-language educational manuals for future generations of beekeepers.
Through Bee Mindful’s acclaimed Apprenticeship Program and immersive workshops, she teaches both beginner and advanced beekeepers how to apply scientifically grounded Integrated Pest Management strategies without relying on pesticides, miticides, or harsh chemical treatments.
What We Believe
Built Around the Bees
At Bee Mindful, we believe beekeeping should work with nature — not against it.
Our specialty is Natural, Horizontal Beekeeping using a strictly Treatment-Free, Miticide-Free, and sustainability-focused approach that prioritizes the long-term health of bees, wax, honey, and the surrounding ecosystem.
From AG exemption services and hive leasing to workshops, mentorships, free educational resources, and practical hive systems, Bee Mindful exists to make natural beekeeping more approachable, ethical, and connected to the rhythms of the natural world.
Nathalie also serves — or has served — as President, Vice President, Chairman of the Board, and Director for multiple Texas state-level beekeeping associations. She is a Level 3 Honey Sommelier candidate and currently serves on the Board of the American Apitherapy Society.
Together, We Rise ©
“We invite you to join us — in person or in spirit — on this mindful journey toward sustainable beekeeping, healthier colonies, and a deeper connection with nature.
Because together, we rise.”
Did you know that May 20th is World Bee Day?
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Trivia 1: Charles Dadant, a famous French-American beekeeper, the inventor of the Dadant beehive, and one of the founding fathers of modern beekeeping, was born on May 20th.
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Triva 2: That day is also the celebrated birthdate of Anton Janša from Slovenia, the first teacher of modern beekeeping, and the reason we now celebrate World Bee Day on May 20th: he was so talented that Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa appointed him headmaster at the world’s first beekeeping school.
How serendipitous then that, as a teacher of beekeeping classes, Nathalie's own birthday is also May 20th, World Bee Day, after the first teacher of modern beekeeping?
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